Inflatable boat



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. D. LAYM'AN. INFLATABLE BOAT.

No. 549,929. Patented, Nov. 19, 1895.

E' Tam/JUL@ Wmw/ Wigzsses y J 2 Sheets-She'et 2. H. D. LAYMAN.

- INFLATABLE BOAT.

. Patented Nov. 19, 1895.

(No Model.)

vdiixyzsszs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM D. LAYMAN, OFLITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

INFLATAELE BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,923, dated November 19, 1895. Application led November 17, 1894. Serial No. 529,181. (No model.)

- Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Boat, of which the following isa specification. This invention relates to portable boats; and ithas for its object to provide a new and useful boat'of this character that can be folded up orcollapsed into a small compass for being easily carried, while at the same time providing a perfectly-safe and easily-controlled light boat that is especiallyadapted for hunting and fishing purposes and also for pleasure.

Withthese and other objects in view, which will readily appear as the nature of theinvention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and 'claimed Y In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of a portablerboat constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 0,0 w of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail in perspective of a modified form of the boat. f Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of one of therleggins or'boots. Fig.- 6 is a cross-sectional view on the liney y of Fig. 5, Fig.7 is aperspective viewof a tandem or series form of thevboat. Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional'view of the form of boat shown in Fig. 7. A

Referring to the accompanying drawings, l designates a tubular inflatable float-body of an oval or ovoid shape, `that is designed to be inflated with air for the purpose 'of providing a body that will have sufiicient buoyancy for iioating on water, while at the same time being capable of being easily collapsed and folded into a small compass for being transported. The tubular inflatable oval fioat-body 1 is made of iiexible water-tight material, preferably rubber, and is provided inside of the same with a series of flexible partitions 2, that divide the interior of the 4body into a number of air-compartments 3, with each of which connects an ordinary Valved filling-tube 4, providing means for separately iniating and dischargingl the air from the compartments, and

the provision of a numberl ofseparate air- Y compartments 3 renders the boat perfectly safe, inasmuch as the puncture or impairment of one air-compartment will not affect the inflation of the othercompartment.

s The oval or ovoid shape of the float-body l provides thebody with a narrow anda wide end, the narrow end forming the prow or point of the boat, in order to presentas little resistance to the water as possible, while the Wide end of the body forms the stern endof the boat and accommodates therein the seated portion of a person. 'By reason of the fact that the weight of the person seated within the open body l is placed on the wide stern end thereof such end of the body is larger or of a greater diameter than the narrow prow end, asclearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, thereby providing a construction of float-body that will easily sustain1 the weight of a person seated therein,u while at the same time `maintaining a horizontal floating position on the water and offering as little resistance as possible to propulsion through the water. The inner oval space of said float-body is entirely open at the top to allow a person to be seated therein, but is closed at the bottom by the flexible water-tight bottom piece 5. The flexible bottom piece 5 is preferably made ofA the same materialA as the float-body l and -is joined atrits edges to thev bottom side of said float-body by water-tight seams, and said bottom piece 5 provides a'perfectly .Water-tight bottom for the iioat-body vand has extended therefrom thejflexible watertight leggins or boots 6, provided on their soles with the weights?, that assist to hold the float-body correctly positioned vin the water. The 'pair of leggins or boots 6 are suficientlylong and of ,sucha size as to easily accommodate the feet and legs of a person seated within the float-body, and arranged on top of the bottom piece 5, in rear of the openings for the leggins or boots 6, is the inflatable cushion-seat 8, provided with a valved filling-tube 9 and forming a soft seat for the person using the boat. It is to be noted that the seat 8 is disposed within the wide stern end of the continuous inat'able ioat-'body 1 in order that the weight of the person may be placed on the said Ystern en d ofthebody. 'v The water-tight leggins or boots 6, eX-

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and provided at their upper and lower ends with the triangularlyshaped folding end. iiaps 11, that are also secured to the sides of1 the leggins or boots and serve to limit the opening of the paddles, while at the same time permitting the saine to close or feather against the sides of the leggins or boots. At their movin g rear edges the said feat-hen ing paddles 1() have attached thereto the limiting-straps 12, also `connected -to the leggins or boots to positively1 limit the opening of the paddles 10 and to brace the same when full of water. It will be obvious that by moving the leggins or boots .G backward andv forward the paddles 10 will alternately catch: the water and feather therein to provide for the propulsion of the boat through the water. i

The continuous tubular `oval-shaped iloat- L body 1 has attached on `the outside thereof,

at the stern end, the longitudinally-disposed rudder-plate 13, tothe outer end of which are 1 connected the opposite strap portions 14,

buckled at their front ends, as at 15, to the outside of the body 1, on opposite sides of .the E rudder-plate, to provide means for rigidly p holding the rudder properly positioned, soi that the floatbody is prevented from spin-y ning about in the water `or from too easily turning.

W'hen used for hunting purposes, the body 1 of the boat is preferably Vprov-ided with an? exterior series of keepers orloops 16, 1in which may be inserted a pole or staff carrying al screen or cover to conceal the gunner from t view, and the other necessary appurtenances for gunning and fishing may be readily ea-rried by the boat.

NVhere the boat is used in rough water, the same has attached to the top edges thereof a conical breakwater-eape 117, made `of iiexible water-tight material and joined to the outer upper edges of the float-bodyby a water-tight seam. The said'breakwater-eape 17 is adapted to encircle or cover the body of the person in the boat below the arms, and attached to the upper edges of the cape,to oppositesides thereof, are ordinary shoulderstiaps 1S, and below f said shoulder-straps the said cape 17 is venf circled by a body-strap 19, passed through p the guide-loops 2O on the cape and adapted to be strapped to the body of the person -in the boat in order that such person may be entirely protected from the wash'of the rough water.

In smooth water the cape 17 is noti necessary for a breakwater, and in lieu thereof the oval-shaped Heat-body 1 is provided at the top thereof with an inflatable breakwatery rim 21,01. the same configuration as the body 1, and therefore following the contour thereof, to provide means for acting in the capacity of a breakwater or dam to prevent the 'water from washing over the top of the float-body inside of the same upon the person seated therein.

The herein-described boat may not only be used in a single form, as described, but may be employed in a tandeln or series form, as shown in Figs. 7 and S of the drawings, in which form .the boat is employed principally for pleasure. In the tandem or series form a series of the tubular inflatable iloat-bodies are joined together longitudinally by watertight seams, and ,the iloat-bodies in rear of the foremost Heat-body approximateas nearly as .possible the shape of such foremost body; but at .the stern end ll of the float-bodies of the tandem or series form are of a greater di ameter than at their front ends, as 4already described, for the purpose of sustaining the weight of the person seated therein. rlhe tandem or series form of boat is provided within each float-body with the leg-openings 22, which may open into either single leggins or boots for the reception ofboth legs or into a pair of leggins or boots, `as already described, and in this form of the boat either the cape or rim breakwater may be employed, and steering-straps 23 may be guided from the rudder along both sides of the boat up to the foremost body, .where the same may conveniently be controlled by the person seated at the front of rthe boat.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from .the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of .this invention.

Having thus described .the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A boat having a continuous tubular inflatable oval shaped iioat body of a greater diameter at the wide stern end than at the nard a row prow end, substantially as set forth.

2. In a boat, a continuous .tubular inflatable oval-shaped iioat body of a greater diam eter at the wide stern end than at the narrow prow end, and a water tight bottom piece at tached to .the bottom `of said float body and provided with water tight leggins or boots continuous with and depending therefrom, substantially as set forth.

3. In a boat, a tubular inflatable body of a greater diameter at its rear end than at the front end, a water tight bottom piece inclosing vthe bottom of the `central open space of said body and `having depending water tight leggins or boots extended below the same, and an iniatable cushion seat arranged on. said bottom piece within the wide end portion of said body, substantially as setforth.

4. In a boat, a tubular inilatable oval shaped body of a greater diameter at its rear end than at the narrow prow end, and a water IOO IIO

tight bottom piece inclosing the bottom of the central open space of the body, and having integral water tight leggins or boots continuous and depending therefrom and provided with weighted shoes, and an inflatable cushion seat arranged on the bottom piece in rear of the leggin or boot openings within the wide end portion of the body, substantially as set forth.

5. In a boat, a tubular inflatable oval shaped body provided with a Water tight bottom piece having a cushion seat and water tight leggins or boots depending from the same in front of said boots, a rudder attached to the rear end of said body, and rudder straps connected to the said rudder and to the body at opposite sides of the rudder, substantially as set forth.

6. In a boat, the combination of a tubular continuous inflatable float body provided with a water tight bottom piece having depending iieXible leggins or boots, opposite feathering paddles attached at their front edges to opposite sides of said leggins or boots and provided at their upper and lower ends with triangularly shaped folding end flaps also attached to the sides of the leggins or boots,

and limiting straps attached to the leggins or boots and to the moving edges of said paddles, substantially as set forth.

7. In a boat7 a tubular inflatable oval shaped body provided with a water tight bottom piece having depending leggins or boots, and a conical water tight break-water cape joined at its wide lower end to the outer upper edges of said float body and adapted to be secured at its narrow upper end around the body of a person, substantially as set forth.

8. In a boat, a tubular iniiatable oval shaped body provided with a water tight bottom piece having depending leggins or boots, and a conical water tight break-water vcape joined at its wide lower end to the outer upper edges of said float body and provided at its upper end with shoulder strapsand an encircling body strap below the shoulder straps, substantially as set forth.

In testimony 'that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

. I-IIRAM D. LAYMAN. Vitnesses:

JOHN H. SIGGERS, HAROLD H. SIMMs. 

